THE WRITING

PROCESS

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WRITING PROCESS:

Planning

Drafting

Editing

Revising

Publishing

 

 

A PROCESS:

  • Writing is a process.
    • That is, it is not a singular act.
      • It is not merely placing words on paper and submitting the product in whatever condition it may be.
      • It is not a last-minute, casual, careless, half-hearted task.
      • Some students call this misconception the "one-and-done" or the "get-it-over-with-as-fast-as-possible" approach to writing.
    • Instead, effective writing is a procedure with several steps to follow before submitting a final polished product.
      • Just as they accept that there are processes in other educational fields
        • mathematics, chemistry, biology, music, photography, engineering,
        • automotive repair, computer programming, Web design, and culinary artistry
      • Student-Writers must realize that composition (effective writing communication) consists of steps as well.
      • By carefully and successfully completing the objectives of each step in this process, writers can construct a document that is clear, coherent, and relatively free of errors.
      • Along the way, they must plan and organize before they write,
      • and they must write multiple drafts -- not only one.
    • Thus, the submitted work represents a culmination of hard work: 
      • careful consideration, planning, reworking, and proofreading

  • Writing is a recursive process.
    • This means that, as writers move through the composition process, they will not necessarily do so in a mono-directional way.
      • The writing process is not a one-way street.
    • Sometimes, writers will have to repeat a step or a few steps or all of the steps as they proceed toward an effective piece of composition.
      • The phrase "3 steps forward, 2 steps back" comes to mind.
    • In life and in other courses, sometimes we have to backtrack to get it correct.
      • If we are in a career we do not enjoy, we go back to school to major in one we would prefer.
      • If we didn't get the reaction in the beaker we were supposed to, we go back through the process and check our notes.
      • If our soufflé falls or our eggplant ratatouille is too sour, then we go back into "Hell's Kitchen" and find our mistake.
      • If our car doesn't stop after we replace the brake pads, we break everything down and start anew.


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Writing ProcessPlanningDraftingEditingRevisingPublishing

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